Day 281, 08:30

  While the mentors went to the observatory upstairs to monitor them, Taeseok and Seohwa’s team split up to the edges of the forest and were given 10 minutes to plan a strategy.

  Taeseok’s Team.

  “Why did you choose the Munchies for a team name? Now, we look like a bunch of foodies!” Yerin grumbled.

  Minggu also protested, “Hear, hear!”

  Taeseok yawned as he sat relaxed on a rock platform they found, “It was the name of the chip packet I was holding…”

  “…” Yerin and Minggu were flabbergasted.

  Yerin rubbed her temples, “Just… tell us the plan…” She paused, “You do have one, right?”

  Taeseok smirked and tilted his head, “What plan?”

  Yerin growled, “I’m going to kill you!”

  Minggu held her back as much as he could but since he was the weakest, his holding back meant clinging to Yerin.

  “Hehehe.” Taeseok chuckled, enjoying her outburst while she grabbed his collar and shook him vigorously.

  Goldie, Hawk and Rhino who monitored them on the screen were laughing at their relaxed attitude.

  Rhino chuckled, “This is the leader you want?”

  Hawk retorted, “It’s good to let loose before a battle. If they’re too nervous, they can’t perform to the best of their abilities.”

  “Hmph, we’ll see.”

  Goldie smiled, “Come on, you two. We’re here to watch.”

  Hawk crossed his arms as he looked at Seohwa’s team in a different monitor, “Point proven. Look how stiff your team is.”

  “They’re planning.” Rhino defended aggressively.

  Seohwa’s Team.

  Seohwa honestly confessed, “Frankly, I have no idea what Taeseok-oppa’s plan is.”

  !!!

  Jiho and Hwayeon were startled.

  Seohwa continued, “He is hard to read. You’d think he’s someone simple but before you know it, you’re going at his pace.”

  Hwayeon chuckled, “That’s true.”

  “So,” Seohwa looked at Hwayeon, “Since I can’t read him, I thought I would choose someone who understands him best within the group. I need your help, unnie.”

  Hwayeon smiled, “Gladly.”

  Seohwa faced Jiho, “To be honest, my plan will probably be basic enough that Taeseok will be able to read it. But that’s what I want him to think.”

  ***

  Taeseok’s Team.

  “Seohwa will probably form a simple plan so that Jiho can understand it.” Taeseok started.

  Yerin raised her brows, “Well yeah, Jiho’s a buffoon.”

  “But, that’s the trap.” Taeseok scratched his head as he began to scribble on the ground with a stick, “Most likely, she’ll have Jiho carry the flag since he’s the fastest one and have him attack us as bait.”

  ***

  Seohwa’s Team.

  “Jiho’s the fastest among us, and you have quick reflexes, so even if Taeseok-oppa knows you have the flag, you can still dodge… the problem is Yerin.” Seohwa analysed.

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  ***

  “Yerin, your role is important. You’re the only one who can slow him down.” Taeseok yawned while he drew a burger on the ground.

  “Why can’t you do it, oppa?” Yerin raised her brows, “You can use your gravity to slow him down, no?”

  ***

  “Taeseok can’t use his gravity on Jiho if he wants to keep an eye on the battlefield.” Seohwa pointed to Jiho.

  Hwayeon then asked, “If that’s the case, how do we deal with Yerin?”

  Seohwa smirked, “You two will double tag team Yerin-unnie. Jiho as bait and Hwayeon as the attacker. Once Hwayeon and Yerin are matched up, Jiho should look for Minggu-oppa.”

  “Minggu-hyung?” Jiho asked, “Why?”

  “He’ll probably have the flag. Taeseok-oppa most likely chose him to have the flag and hide. Because it’s a forest field as well, Minggu could use his plant ability to hide within bushes naturally… honestly, Taeseok-oppa probably lucked out when he saw the vast forest.”

  ***

  “We got lucky, it's a forest. Minggu-ah can hide with his power.” Taeseok said as his stomach grumbled, “All this thinking makes me hungry…”

  Yerin growled, “Focus, won’t you?!”

  Minggu patted her shoulder, “Calm down, he’s doing good.”

  Goldie announced from the observatory speaker, “Last 5 minutes.”

  “Well, to summarise, let’s make sure Seohwa gets confused.” Taeseok pouted as he held his growling stomach.

  ***

  After the 5 minutes were over, the horn signalled the start of the mock battle.

  Seohwa used her wind detection and detected Taeseok’s team, “Strange, they aren’t moving.”

  “Easier target then.” Jiho licked his lips as he warmed his legs up.

  Hwayeon made sure to tighten the flag on Jiho’s body, “Is it tight?”

  “Noona, if it’s any tighter, I won’t be able to breathe.” Jiho chuckled.

  Hwayeon sighed, “If it falls, it’s on you.”

  “I won’t, don’t worry.”

  Seohwa watched the two of them and smiled, “We’ll stick to the plan. I don’t know why they aren’t moving, but it’s a good thing for us.”

  “They aren’t?” Hwayeon pondered, “Seohwa, I think we should be careful.”

  “You thought of something?”

  Hwayeong nodded, “Taeseok is craftier than you might think. In his words, ‘You get excited when you see an opened chip packet but when you get closer, it’s actually empty’.”

  Seohwa realised, “You think it’s bait?”

  “Yep.” Hwayeon nodded.

  Seohwa used her ability again to detect Taeseok’s team and noticed the figures stayed exactly the same.

  If Hwayeon-unnie is right…

  She scanned other areas and felt two figures moving near the bait figures they made.

  Seohea smirked, “Yerin grew. We almost fell for her ice figures.”

  On the other hand, Yerin sneezed as she and Taeseok hid somewhere farther than the ice figures she made.

  Taeseok shushed, “Yerin, you might give it away.”

  “I know that.” Yerin whispered, “Do you think it’ll work?”

  “About fifty-fifty. It depends if Hwayeon-ah says something. She understands me the most.”

  “That’s pretty low, don’t you think?” Yerin frowned.

  “Well, just stick to the plan.”

  Yerin stayed silent waiting as she asked, “How did you think of using Seohwa’s detection ability against her?”

  Taeseok hummed, “Seohwa likes data and information. She likes to confirm facts before acting upon them. It’s not bad, but what if there is too much information to process?”

  “…” Yerin scoffed in admiration, “Remind me not to make you an enemy, oppa.”

  “Then, accept my munchies sometimes.”

  “No, I’ll get fat.”

  As they waited for a while, Taeseok frowned, “They’re not coming?”

  “Who says?” Seohwa appeared behind them and acrobatically jumped above them as she aimed two wind missiles at them. Taeseok and Yerin dodged as Yerin was about to counterattack when Taeseok stopped her, “No! Find Hwayeon and Jiho! They’re after Minggu!”

  Yerin nodded as she ran.

  “No, you don’t!” Seohwa stomped on the ground making a crater on Yerin’s path as she fell.

  Rhino watching the screen laughed, “That’s it!”

  Hawk frowned, “It’s not over yet.”

  Taeseok used his ability to make Yerin float as he repelled her away.

  Seohwa smiled, “Hi oppa.”

  “Sup, Seohwa. Didn’t like my bait?” Taeseok teased.

  “No, it’s quite impressive. Using the fact my wind detection can only feel and not see.”

  Taeseok shrugged, “Well, it didn’t work, considering you’re here.”

  Seohwa then went into battle stance, “I’m not going easy on you, oppa.”

  “Naturally.”

  The environment around them began to shake.

  On the other hand, Yerin who ran was ambushed by Hwayeon’s fire arrow, “Just as Seohwa said you would!”

  Yerin froze Hwayeon’s fire arrow as she panted. Hwayeon walked towards her, relaxed, “You look tired. Probably having made those baits.”

  “You have no idea.” Yerin chuckled, “Shall we, unnie?”

  Meanwhile, Jiho was dashing around the forest using his lightning to increase his speed. “Minggu-hyung! Where are you?”

  Minggu was panting away from the battlefield while holding a cloth bag. Minggu grieved, “Seriously, hyung made me run for real!”

  ***

  Seohwa’s whipsword retracted and extended fluidly while Taeseok blocked her attacks with his greatsword.

  Taeseok who was defending was flabbergasted, “How are you still ok being up in the air?”

  Seohwa laughed as she used her wind steps to walk on air, “I already experienced this once.”

  Taeseok sighed. Seohwa felt something was wrong when Taeseok wasn’t attacking but just defending, “Why aren’t you attacking, oppa?”

  He didn’t respond and just as he did, he removed his gravity zero on Seohwa making her drop down. As she landed, she felt vines creeping as she looked back and saw Minggu.

  Seohwa was startled as she couldn’t move her body, “…Not bad… but, this won’t stop me.” She activated her poison body, causing the vines to wither. When she loosened, Taeseok blocked her but she used the wind to move past and grab the cloth bag in Minggu’s hand.

  “It was a wrong move, oppa.” Seohwa said, holding the cloth bag.

  Taeseok smirked, “Really? Or did I just make Jiho run out of steam instead?”

  Seohwa had her eyes widened at his words as she opened the cloth bag to only see an ice flag. She threw it away then looked at Minggu and saw he didn’t have the flag.

  Seohwa then realised, “You gave it to Yerin?”

  “Teehee~”

  Seohwa felt Hwayeon was in trouble as she ran towards where Yerin went.

  Hawk applauded, “Now that’s a twist!”

  Rhino rolled his eyes as Goldie laughed, “Well executed.”

  Jiho, on the other hand, saw Hwayeon and Yerin fight just a few metres away. Since he was getting tired of running around, he took a break for a moment but as he did, he saw a light blue glow in the corner of his eyes.

  Jiho stood up and saw a huge field of ice flags and his mouth gaped, “Oh shit.”